15 Sugar Skull Makeup Ideas for Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a three-day celebration that honors the deceased. The tradition originates from Mexico, but the holiday is now observed in Mexican-American communities in the U.S., Spain and some Central and South American countries.

When it’s celebrated

The official dates are Nov.1— Día de los Angelitos, dedicated to deceased youth—and Nov. 2, Día de los Difuntos, for adults. Some believe in beginning celebrations on the evening of Oct. 31, proceeding to the graveyard where it is believed that the souls of young children rise at midnight.

It’s not Halloween

While death and spirits often inspire fear on Halloween, Día de los Muertos celebrates and honors the dead instead.

How it’s celebrated

During Día de los Muertos, families visit cemeteries to hold vigils and bring offerings to the deceased, such flowers, candles and food. Parties are often held during the annual event, which can involve the entire community, and it is thought that spirits will bless those who honor their dead relatives with good luck, wisdom and protection. At home, families create altars and honor the dead with sweetbreads, the deceased’s favorite food, marigolds (the flower of death), fresh water, trinkets and sugar skulls—which are inscribed with the name of a deceased relative and eaten as a reminder of death being a sweet continuation of the cycle of life.

How the tradition is evolving

In modern-day celebrations, people are painting their faces to look like skulls – known as calaveras. Many sugar skull designs incorporate flowers, and the one that is most closely associated with Día de los Muertos is the marigold, or cempazúchitl, which is known as the flower of the dead.

In honor of the Día de los Muertos, I’ve put together some of the most stunning sugar skull makeup looks I’ve seen on Internet to show my appreciation for this important piece of Mexican culture. Check them out and enjoy!

So, which one from the above Sugar Skull Makeup Ideas for Día de los Muertos you like the best? Tell me in the comments! Thank you for reading and don’t forget to stay up to date with the content of Fashionsy to find many other makeup ideas that you can get inspired from.